To the editor:

Everyone has a plant they love to hate. For many islanders, that nasty plant is Scotch broom. Since the season is approaching, I thought I’d lambast this sneeze-inducing species.

I remember gathering armloads in my childhood to present to my mother as a bouquet (ah-choo!). It grew in only a few vacant lots and roadsides. Now it is ubiquitous. Any Scotch broom in your yard is bright yellow evidence that you are an uninformed and discourteous neighbor.

Let’s Pull Together-Bainbridge Scotch Broom Control (www.sustain

ablebainbridge.org/lets-pull-together.aspx) is an initiative of Sustainable Bainbridge serving to coordinate community efforts to rid our island of invasive Scotch broom, Cytisus scoparius. This project has been brilliantly successful in giving the broom a clean sweep. However, seeds persist for years, so annual vigilance is the best defense.

A good policy to instill in our islanders is to “grab a baddie.” Every time you walk anywhere, yank a Scotch broom (or ivy or holly plant) from the park, roadside or vacant lot. We hope to eradicate broom and other noxious weeds within this decade. With your help this is possible!

JEANNETTE FRANKS

Weed Warriors